Protests Continue 9 Days After LASD Shoots, Kills Dijon Kizzee In South LA
SOUTH LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Protesters again gathered Wednesday in South Los Angeles after Dijon Kizzee was shot to death by Los Angeles Sheriff's Department deputies.
About 50 to 70 protesters were outside the South L.A. sheriff's station on Wednesday chanting in front of deputies before they began to march through the streets.
The 29-year-old Kizzee was shot and killed Aug. 31 after LASD deputies attempted to stop him for a code violation while he was riding his bicycle near West 109th Place and South Budlong Avenue at around 3:15 p.m.
Kizzee ran from them, prompting a foot chase. When deputies caught up to him, they allege he punched one of them in the face.
During the scuffle, Kizzee dropped some clothes he was carrying and deputies report seeing him drop a semiautomatic handgun, the sheriff's department reports.
Family and other loved ones have argued that while Kizzee did initially have a weapon, he was unarmed when he was fatally shot. The LASD said Kizzee motioned toward the gun on the ground and that's why they opened fire.
At least 18 gunshots were heard in footage obtained by CBSLA, but it remains unclear exactly how many times Kizzee was shot. LASD deputies do not currently wear body cameras.
During the various demonstrations throughout the L.A. area and some in front of an LASD station in South L.A., there have been clashes between protesters and law enforcement.
Since the protests began, more than two dozen arrests were made -- most of whom LASD Sheriff Alex Villanueva said were from out of town -- after unlawful assemblies were declared.
Officials deployed tear gas to help control crowds and one neighbor said the gas, which irritates mucous membranes, seeped into nearby homes.
"I'm supposed to have fought for this country and now I have to come back and almost go through the same thing. It's like we're under siege," said 73-year-old Vietnam War veteran Leroy Moore.
Kizzee's family has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump — most recently known for representing the family of Jacob Blake, who was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The LASD deputies involved in the deadly shooting, whose names have not been released, have been removed from the field pending a review of the incident.
A GoFundMe to help support Kizzee's family has raised more than $15,600 in seven days.
